Mimic Tang and Flame Angel Issue

[kleach]

So I have a 65 Gal Red Sea Max as my display which had 2 clowns and a flame angel in it for the past month. the clowns were fighting so much that I had to pull the bigger one and put it in the QT (Not really a QT, just an observation tank).

In the meantime I've had a Blue tang and yellow mimic tang in the 29 gallon QT for the past month. I just acclimated both the blue tang and mimic tang to the Red Sea, put them in and left the house for 2 hours.

When I can home I saw that the mimic tang looks beat up a little. I can see his fins are pretty ripped up. I see the Flame Angel chasing him a little so my first instinct is to pull the flame and let the mimic get used to the tank, set up a territory and try re-intorducing the flame later. If that doesnt work I'd get rid of the flame.

Should I pull the flame ASAP, or let them work it out? Also, will the fins grow back on the mimic. He was absolutely gorgeous and now looks so....blah. I feel so bad for him.

Please respond ASAP and PM me with any ideas.

Thanks!

[windcoast reefs]

if its causing that much damage, I would pull it out. Better to find it a new home than kill the other fish.

[oscarinw]

I would pull the angel. Depending on how difficult to catch him i would consider re-escaping after the Mimic is healed and acclimated (maybe 6 weeks) and try to re-introduce the Flame. Watch carefully over the course of at least a week and make sure he doesn't re-establish that sense of territoriality and hopefully you keep your setup as intended.
Good luck with things

[kleach]

I tried catching the angel last night and naturally they like to stay close to the rock work so it was hard. I think I'm going to give him another day of observations. Just called home and was told that flame was picking around in the rocks and the Mimic was just swimming around. If worst comes to worse I'll snag the flame at feeding time and put him in fishy time out.

6 weeks seems like a long time. Fish take that long to get used to the tank and establish their own territory? Totally willing to do it though to try and keep the peace.

Also, will the agression subside when the tang outgrows the flame? Just wondering.

Thanks for the help!